Police: Former Soldan's employee embezzled more than $83,000

LANSING - A former employee of Soldan's Pet Supplies embezzled more than $83,000 from the company's south Lansing store, court records show.

Samantha Louise Austin, 31, of Dansville, faces trial on two counts of felony embezzlement. Dansville, a village of about 500, is seven miles east of Mason.

Austin's first charge, which involves embezzlement between $50,000 and $100,000, involves theft from 2016. The second charge covers 2015, when Austin allegedly embezzled up to $20,000.

She was bound over for trial on the charges after a preliminary hearing last week in Lansing's 54A District Court and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

Employees at the store at 5200 South Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard discovered the embezzlement when another employee tried to return an item and found that it had already been returned, according to a transcript of testimony from Lansing Police Detective Jason Pung.

After reviewing financial records and surveillance video, managers ultimately found that Austin had returned merchandise worth $83,414 in 2015 and 2016, Pung said.

An average employee processes returns worth about $200 per year, he said.

Investigators believe Austin performed more than 1,600 false returns over about 20 months. She would typically process an item as returned, but pocket the cash and not put the item back on the shelf, Pung said.

Austin's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A manager at Soldan's declined to comment.

Soldan's was founded in 1955, according to the company's website. It has eight pet supply stores across mid-Michigan.